Editor’s Letter – 2022 Winter Small Farms Quarterly

January 10, 2022/Anu Rangarajan

Dear farmers and friends,

 

Central to the mission of the Cornell Small Farms Program is that anyone who wants to operate a small farm in NYS has access to appropriate information, resources and networks to grow their farm and business.

In 2006, we launched our beginning farmer training effort with our CCE colleagues. We provide online courses and in-person learning opportunities, a robust suite of online resources, and connections to CCE educators and other service providers who can help. Since then, we have helped more than 30,000 beginning farmers start turning their dreams into reality. We have built upon this foundation to create Farm Ops, our project to support military veterans interested in agriculture, and our LatinX farmer training offerings.

Now, we are thrilled to announce the Equitable Farm Futures Initiative. We are deeply grateful for the support from Assemblymember Lupardo and Senator Hinchey, the Chairs of the Assembly and Senate Agriculture Committees and their legislative colleagues, as well as our partners at NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. With this initiative, we will create and expand specialized training and support for unique communities of small-scale and beginning farmers in NYS. This Initiative will:

  • Expand educational resources and training to support Spanish-first and bilingual aspiring and active farmers
  • Foster new partnerships and collaborations with other NYS service providers to strengthen support for diverse new farmers
  • Target education and coaching on farm business and financial management for all small-scale farmers, especially those in their start-up years

Equitable Farm Futures will become the centerpiece of our efforts to increase the diversity of farmers in NY. We will continue to highlight the work and resources of the multitude of amazing organizations throughout NYS and beyond that make farming accessible and viable to anyone who aspires to farm.

In the coming months, we will announce new educational opportunities, developed in partnership with CCE and other NYS-based service providers. These opportunities will be open to all NYS farmers.

We welcome your questions and comments, and encourage you to reach out to us with any questions about this exciting initiative.

Stay tuned for opportunities to join us as we work toward a more robust, resilient and inclusive small farm community here in New York!

 

Anu Rangarajan

ar47@cornell.edu

Editor-in-Chief, Small Farms Quarterly

Director, Cornell Small Farms Program

Anu Rangarajan

Anu was appointed director the Cornell Small Farms Program in 2004. At the same time, she opened a U-pick strawberry farm in Freeville, NY. The experience of operating a small farm changed her entire approach to research and extension, and deepened her commitment to NY farms and local food systems.
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